Chicken and Celery Pot Stickers

Traditional pot stickers, complete with fresh dough and the requisite number of pleats, are best saved for a special occasion. This version, made with storebought wonton wrappers, is easy enough for a weeknight meal. A flavorful filling of ground chicken and celery (left over from Sage Stuffing) is seasoned with sesame oil and soy sauce and enclosed within the simply folded wontonno pleats involved. We do cook the pot stickers the conventional way, by first frying them and then steaming them until the water evaporates and the bottoms are crisp and golden. It is imperative to use dark chicken meat (from legs and thighs) because it doesn't dry out the way leaner white meat can.

Preparation

Make filling:
Cut celery into 2-inch pieces. With food processor running, drop in celery and garlic and finely chop. Stop motor and add chicken, 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce, sesame oil, and 1/8 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Pulse until just combined.

Form dumplings:
Put 2 wrappers on a dry surface, keeping remaining wrappers in package, and lightly brush edges with water. Mound a rounded teaspoon filling in center of each wrapper. Fold in half, into triangles or half-moons, and pinch edges tightly to seal. Make 18 more dumplings in same manner.

Fry dumplings:
Heat vegetable oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot, then arrange dumplings, slightly overlapping, in a spiral pattern and fry until bottoms are pale golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add water, tilting skillet to distribute, then cover tightly with lid and cook until liquid has evaporated and bottoms of dumplings are crisp and golden, 6 to 7 minutes. (Use a spatula to loosen and lift edges to check bottoms; replace lid and continue cooking if necessary, checking after 1 to 2 minutes.) Remove lid and invert a large plate with a rim over skillet. Holding plate and skillet tightly together, invert dumplings onto plate. Serve immediately, with dipping sauce.